Family Owned and Operated in Olympia, Washington

Posts Tagged ‘insurance’

Example of a Washington State Contractor License (source: WA State L&I)Licensed, bonded and insured: You see this on contractors' business cards, websites and print ads all the time. And consumer experts tell you that you should only hire contractors who have these credentials. But what do these words mean and why are they important to you? We'll break them down for you so you understand the meaning of these terms, and why each of them protects both you and the contractor.

Licensed

All contractors in the State of Washington are required by law to carry a state license. Plumbers are required to carry a specific plumbing certification. Contractors must also post their license number on all their marketing materials -- including their business cards, brochures, website and even their truck. You can easily verify the status of a contractor's license by visiting the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries website at https://secure.lni.wa.gov/verify/

Burst pipes from unheated homes can cause thousands of dollars in costly repairs. Photo credit: Graeme Maclean, flic.kr/p/93UN4YWith the rising cost of energy, some people are tempted to turn off their heat when they are away from home for extended periods, like when they are on vacation. Likewise, people who own vacant houses, for example, homes that are up for sale or for rent, may shut off the heat to save money.

This is bad idea. While the Olympia, Washington area has a relatively mild winter climate, it does get below freezing during the winter fairly regularly, and we occasionally get cold snaps where temperatures plummet below 20 degrees. Without the heat on to keep your home above freezing, you risk pipes freezing, which can result in burst pipes. And since no one is in the home, it could be days or even weeks before the damage has been discovered.

To make matters worse, many insurance plans will not cover frozen pipe damage if reasonable precautions are not made to prevent the damage. The insurance company will likely consider leaving the heat off to be an act of negligence, voiding your claim and leaving you with thousands of dollars in uninsured homes repairs, including water pipe replacement, flood damage, dry rot, drywall, and even electrical problems.

As we've mentioned in a previous post about underground sprinkler systems, it's not 32 degrees you have to be worried about, but 39 degrees. At 39 degrees, water goes through a molecular change where it actually expands. As water cools below that temperature it starts to contract again. Ice also continues to contract as it gets colder.